Mati Diop in NYC

French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop returned to New York City in 2024 with two new nonfiction projects. Feature-length documentary Dahomey, which follows the restitution of 26 artifacts from France back to Benin, as well as the reactions of the Beninese people, screened at the 62nd New York Film Festival. In addition, Diop’s experimental dance short titled Naked Blue, created in collaboration with Manon Lutanie, premiered at the Museum of Modern Art’s “Modern Mondays” series. While the two films may at first seem different in both form and content, Diop’s new films both center defiant perspectives from young people taking agency in the face of colonialism. Discussions after both screenings allowed audiences to gain insight into Diop’s creative process.